Since I stopped using credit cards, 3 years ago, I began using my debit card. Really, I just got smarter about which plastic I used (and a better paying job). I never had any issues, but I did have one really good habit that I was not capitalizing on near enough. Saving money; which I did when I had cash. Weird, right?

When I did have cash in my pocket I would pay in whole dollars. For example, if my total at the register came to $1.22 I would pay with $2.00 even if I had $1.25. I would then take my $0.78, and throw it into a piggy bank.

It hit me one day that I had a lot of money in piggy banks because of my piggy banks savings theory so I started taking cash out of the bank each time I got paid and began using cash instead of debit.

You would not believe how fast the money adds up. I’m tellin’ you, I had upwards of $45 in there before I knew it and I didn’t even know it, you know? Who misses their change anyway? Go check out my savings as of month 3!!

I think that change has become devalued in the eyes of many. Some people hate having change and it is almost seems as though it is not even considered money. You can just ship it my way if you are one of those people. Heh!

In all seriousness don’t spend your change. Save it. You could cash it in each year, or count it up, or save it, or put a goal on it, but whatever you do throw it in a piggy bank.

Is anyone interested in a piggy bank savings club? We could share our updates monthly?

I love this, but…my husband always robs my change cup for things like washing the car (at the automated place) or adding air to tires. And at the moment, we are making *less* than we earn. NOT a good situation (and a story that’s too long to post here). I will say, however, that by using credit cards (not debit) and paying off the balance in full, we have earned a significant portion of a Disney vacation and we are working on doing it again (someday).

I walk a very fine line in using credit cards with the rewards. I find that *most* people do not pay them off in full so I am just better off advising against using credit cards. If you can and do pay the balance in full EVERY MONTH the rewards are many, and it can actually be beneficial for the ole credit score (to some point).

When our financial picture was a little less stressed, it was an awesome way to save. Some of the things we put on the card were big major renovation things after Katrina and we had the money to just pay it right off. So the reward points added up quickly.

Right now, the balances I’m carrying are largely for summer camp and for an upcoming trip. With camp, it’s a conundrum – it’s probably almost a wash with my husband’s job, but we need him to keep it throughout the summer since we won’t have the camp expense in the fall. The good news is that he just got more hours and will make not quite double what he has been making.

And the trip is a situation that I felt we ought to take advantage of: I’m flying to DC in the fall for a business trip, so my air and hotel are covered. I’m paying for DH and son to fly there, too. While it’s an expense we don’t technically need right now, it’s a MUCH less expensive way for us to experience DC since one flight and the hotel are covered.